ALL eyes were on the clash of the titans as the top two squared off at the Etihad in Manchester but there were more than a few intriguing fixtures involving relegation candidates. FocusM takes a look at some of the major talking points from Saturday’s (Nov 25) round of matches.
Manchester City 1 v Liverpool 1
Jurgen Klopp was the far happier of the two managers as a below-par Liverpool snatched a point after the reigning champions squandered a host of chances. Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach a half century of goals, but the Norwegian’s clinical strike was cancelled out by an equally fine finish from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Both Brazil’s goalkeepers were on show but Alisson was guilty of several poor clearances, one of which led to City’s goal.
Newcastle 4 v Chelsea 1
Four seems to be the magic number for Chelsea at the moment, having beaten Spurs 4-1 and then drawn 4-4 with Manchester City in their last two outings.
However, they were on the receiving end of a 4-1 trouncing at St James Park as an exuberant Newcastle shredded the Blues to bits. Blues captain Reece James compounded matters by getting sent off with the scoreline already 3-1 and the Magpies duly took advantage with another goal soon after. Back to the drawing board for Mauricio Pochettino then.
Burnley 1 v West Ham United 2
Burney had the lead for almost 70 minutes which had the Turf Moor faithful believing they might just see the first home win of the season. But once again, Vincent Kompany’s side flattered to deceive by conceding two late goals which underline the gulf in class between the divisions.
Burnley look destined for a swift return to the Championship unless the club takes drastic action by sacking Kompany and bringing in much-needed quality in the upcoming transfer window.
Brentford 0 v Arsenal 1
Arsenal huffed and puffed to the victory but the three points were all that mattered. Mikael Arteta’s team seems to have learned valuable lessons from last season as they kept plugging away despite Brentford’s stiff resistance. It took a late goal from Kai Havertz to take the Gunners to the top of the table and on the evidence of this ugly win, it will take some doing to dislodge them.
Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale did little to convince Arteta that he should be the first-choice keeper with some comical errors that the Bees failed to punish.
Sheffield United 1 v Bournemouth 3
A relegation six-pointer that was deservedly won by the away side which showed more courage and conviction. Sheffield United have lost 10 out of their first 13 games back in the top flight and look destined to join Burnley in a quick return to the Championship.
That Everton are being tipped to survive despite the ten-point penalty for financial irregularities is down to the Blades and Burnley being truly awful.
Luton Town 2 v Crystal Palace 1
Luton Town are favourites to get relegated alongside Burnley and Sheffield United, all three being newly promoted sides this season. But the Hatters have not given up just yet, as they gave their survival hopes a massive boost by recording their first home win of the campaign.
Jacob Brown’s late goal earned Luton the three precious points and they will need to build on this victory if they are to have any hopes of escaping the drop. Home form will be crucial in which teams survive the relegation dogfight and Kenilworth Road’s raucous atmosphere should help bring in a few more points.
Nottingham Forest 2 v Brighton & Hove Albion 3
Scenes of unbridled joy mixed with huge relief as Brighton players celebrated a hard-earned win at Forest’s City Ground. They had to soldier on with ten men with half an hour remaining but showed enough quality to get the Seagulls back to winning ways.
The away side’s form had taken a dip as they were winless in seven but came good against a Forest side unbeaten at home since April. The game unfolded at a chaotic pace as potential red cards, squandered chances and brilliant saves combined for a hugely entertaining spectacle for neutrals. – Nov 26, 2023
Main photo credit: The Guardian
